I sit down with Ben Weatherill, the one-man team behind South Loop Studios, to talk about how a small side project became a full suite of immersive audio tools — from Orbit and Orbit Pro to the Esfera streaming platform, OSLS, and Cota — in a matter of months. We dig into open formats like IAMF and Google Eclipsa, how they stack up against Dolby Atmos and Apple Spatial Audio, and where 3D sound is headed next.

Orbit Pro 1.5 brings a dramatically cleaner interface and a surprising new capability that pushes the software into fresh territory. I break down what's improved, what still needs work, and whether this tiny developer is quietly outpacing the giants behind Eclipsa Audio.

In this first look I explore Orbit Pro, the new Pro version of the Orbit player from Orbit Spatial, which can now transcode Dolby Atmos Master Files directly into YouTube-supported Eclipsa Audio—something even Pro Tools can't do yet. I also walk through its new video import, multi-track sessions, webcam head tracking and improved loudness metering, and explain why it's a strong pick for anyone serious about immersive audio production.